An All-America candidate and All-Big East selection, Levance Fields returns for his senior season. Simply put, Fields is a winner. His 52-12 career record as a starter is proof of that excellence. His toughness and willpower are both direct reflections of the Pitt program. His toughness was on display last year when he was sidelined with a broken foot, underwent a difficult two-month rehabilitation period and battled back to play in Pitt's final 13 games, leading the Panthers to their second Big East Tournament title. A strong competitor who elevates the play of his teammates, Fields is a quick point guard who can run the offense, handle the ball, drive, pass and score. He has also developed an effective jumper and has displayed a knack for hitting clutch shots. His stepback, game-winning 3-pointer to defeat Duke at Madison Square Garden last year and his timely 3-pointer in the NCAA Tournament vs. VCU in 2007 are prime examples. A floor general and distributor who enters the 2008-09 season with the school's all-time best career assist:turnover ratio (2.47), Fields has emerged as Pitt's leader.

CAREER

Three-time Bob Cousy Award candidate...Made 64 starts at point guard, scored 861 points (9.1), dished out 375 assists (3.9) and grabbed 300 rebounds (3.2 rpg) in 95 career games played...Career assist:turnover ratio of 2.47 stands as the school record...Also enters his senior year ranked among school career leaders in assists (9th, 375) and assists per game (10th, 3.9)...Started 49 consecutive games from Nov. 19, 2005-Dec. 29, 2007.

2007-08

Missed 12 games due to injury but battled back to play in Pitt's final 13 contests...Sidelined with fractured left foot (fifth metatarsil) suffered during the Dayton game on 12/29 but after a 12-game rehabilitation period, returned to action at Marquette on 2/15...Big East All-Tournament Team selection...Named Most Inspirational Player at team banquet...Preseason All-Big East honorable mention selection....Started the first 12 contests and in each of the season's last 11 games...Saw action in 25 games (23 starts), 773 minutes and averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds on year...Registered a season school record assist:turnover ratio of 3.18 (133 assists, 45 turnovers) on the year...Pitt finished 19-4 with Fields as a starter...Reached double figure scoring in nine consecutive games to close out the season...Averaged 21.0 points (14-27 FG), 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists, shot 41.7 percent (5-12) from 3-point range and hit 9-9 free throws in Pitt's two NCAA Tournament games...Led team with 19 points (6-12 FG) and grabbed five rebounds in NCAA Tournament Second Round vs. Michigan State,
3/22...Scored a season-high 23 points (8-15 FG), hit 4-7 3-pointers with seven assists in 32 minutes in NCAA Tournament First Round vs. Oral Roberts, 3/20...Earned Big East All-Tournament honors after averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game...Scored 10 points with six assists and five rebounds in Big East Championship Game vs. Georgetown, 3/15...Missed triple-double by a rebound and an assist with 11 points and career-highs of nine rebounds and nine assists vs. DePaul, 3/9...Led team with 15 points (5-14 FG), hit 2-5 3-pointers, dished out four assists at West Virginia, 3/3...Hit 8-8 free throws, dished out five assists, scored 13 points at Syracuse, 3/1...Hit key 3-pointer, finished with five assists vs. Cincinnati, 2/27...Made first start in 14 games, scored eight points (4-13 FG) with seven assists and no turnovers vs. Louisville, 2/24...Saw action in 25 minutes, scored 10 points and finished with five assists at Notre Dame, 1/21...In first action since Dec. 29 and 12 games, played 20 minutes, scored four points and finished with two assists at Marquette, 2/15...Scored 13 points (4-10 FG) and hit 2-6 3-pointers before injuring his foot with 15:45 left in the game at Dayton, 12/29...Named Big East Player of the Week (Dec. 23) following his performance vs. Duke...Hit game-winning stepback fadeaway 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds in overtime, scored 21 points (7-13 FG), hit 3-7 3-pointers and finished with four assists in 40 minutes vs. Duke, 12/20...Finished with 17 points (7-10 FG) and six assists vs. Oklahoma State, 12/15...Scored a game-high 20 points (7-9 FG) with five rebounds in 36 minutes at Washington, 12/8...Finished with a career-high tying nine assists vs. Toledo, 12/1...Scored 11 points (5-7 FG) with eight assists vs. Boston U., 11/27...Scored 15 points (6-10 FG) with seven assists and five rebounds vs. Buffalo, 11/23...Earned Hispanic College Fund Challenge All-Tournament team honors after averaging 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and finishing with a 4.25 assist:turnover ratio...Scored 16 points (7-10 FG), dealt six assists and grabbed four rebounds vs. Saint Louis, 11/11.

2006-07

Started all 37 games at point guard...One of 17 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, the nation's top point guard...Second Team All-Big East selection...Earned Coaches Awards for dedication at team banquet...Ranked among Big East leaders in assists (6th, 4.6 apg.) and assist:turnover ratio (3rd, 2.41)...Led Pitt in minutes played (1,094), assists (169), steals (39) and assist:turnover ratio (2.41)...Ranked second on squad in 3-point field goals made (52) and free throw percentage (.759)...Reached double figures in seven consecutive games from Dec. 9-Jan. 7...Finished with an outstanding 2.41 assist:turnover ratio on the season (169 assists/70 turnovers)...Reached double figure scoring in 16 of 37 games on year...Registered at least five assists in 20 of 37 games on year...Finished with 10 points (3-5 3FG) and four assists in NCAA Regional vs. UCLA, 3/22...Scored 10 points including a key 3-pointer in overtime, finished with four rebounds and four assists in NCAA Second Round vs. VCU, 3/17...Dished out a career-high tying nine assists in NCAA First Round vs. Wright State, 3/15. The nine assists tied for third all-time among Pitt's NCAA game records...Scored 13 points (5-10 FG), hit 2-5 3FG, finished with three steals in BEC Semifinal vs. Marquette, 3/8...Grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in 33 minutes at Marquette, 3/3...Scored a game-high 14 points, dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds vs. West Virginia, 2/27...Scored a team-high 15 points (2-3 3FG) including all 15 in the second half, grabbed five rebounds at Seton Hall, 2/19...Scored 14 points, hit two 3-pointers and converted 8-8 free throws vs. Washington, 2/17...Scored a team-high 20 points (6-12 FG), hit two 3-pointers and dished out two assists at Villanova, 1/29...Scored a game-high 18 points, hit a career-high six 3-pointers (6-7 3FG) at Cincinnati, 1/24...Scored eight points, dished out seven assists, grabbed seven rebounds and finished with three steals at DePaul, 1/10...Registered career-highs in scoring (24 points), field goals made (nine), field goal attempts (15), 3-point field goals made (3), 3-point field goal attempts (7) and steals (4), finished with five assists and four rebounds at Syracuse, 1/4...Reached double figures for the fourth straight game with 16 points (7-8 FG, 2-2 3FG) and dished out four assists in 25 minutes vs. Dayton, 12/23...Scored 15 points (6-7 FT) and played a career-high 41 minutes vs. Oklahoma State, 12/21...Dished out a career-high nine assists in Maggie Dixon Classic vs. Western Michigan, 11/12.

2005-06

Started four of 33 games...Earned the Most Inspirational Player Award at team banquet...Reached double-figure scoring in 11 games on year, including four of the season's last five contests...Led team with a .432 3-point field goal percentage (32-74) and ranked second on squad in assist:turnover ratio (1.97)...Ranked second on squad in scoring (14.0 ppg.), shot .625 from the floor
(10-16), hit 5-8 3-pointers and averaged 3.5 rebounds in Pitt's two NCAA Tournament games...Led team with a career-high 18 points (6-10 FG), hit 3-4 3-pointers and grabbed five rebounds in a career-high 35 minutes of the NCAA Tournament Second Round game vs. Bradley, 3/19...Scored 10 points (4-6 FG) including two 3-pointers in 24 minutes of NCAA Tournament First Round game vs. Kent State, 3/17...Averaged 8.3 points and 2.0 assists in Pitt's four Big East Championship games...Scored 14 points (6-13 FG), hit two 3-pointers in 29 minutes in Big East Championship semifinal vs. Villanova, 3/10...Scored 10 points (4-7 FG) with a career-high six rebounds and three assists in Big East quarterfinal vs. West Virginia, 3/9...Scored 14 points (5-7 FG) and had three assists off the bench at Marquette, 2/18...Set then-career-highs for points (13), field goals 5-8), 3-point field goals (3-6) and minutes played (29) at Louisville, 1/15...Scored 11 points, hit 8-14 free throws, played a career-high 27 minutes, and tied a career-high with five assists vs. Notre Dame, 1/4...Played 19 minutes off the bench, scored 10 points (2-2 3FG), dished out three assists and grabbed three rebounds vs. Auburn, 12/4...Finished with five assists vs. Robert Morris, 11/23...Scored 12 points, finished with five assists and played 26 minutes during his career debut vs. Saint Peter's, 11/19...Became just the third freshman to start a season opener at Pitt since 1997.

HIGH SCHOOL

A 2005 graduate of Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. where he lettered three seasons for Head Coach Jack Alesi...Named a Top-100 McDonalds All-America Team Finalist...Scored 18 points (7-16 FG) in 25 minutes, all in the second half, at the Jordan Classic High School All-Star Game on April 16, 2005 at Madison Square Garden...Was the only player from New York State selected to compete in the Jordan Classic...Compiled a 63-28 record and averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 assists over his three-year varsity career...Two-time All-State selection (2004 and 2005) and two-time All-CHSAA honoree...Named New York's Player of the Year in 2005 by the New York Daily News and Newsday...Averaged 27 points, five rebounds and six assists per game as a senior...Led Xaverian to a 20-11 record, CHSAA Championship and state title game appearance with eight straight wins leading up to the championship game...The Clippers won the CHSAA title and advanced to the state title game after defeating three consecutive ranked teams: No. 2 Christ the King, No. 2 Rice and No. 1 St. Mary's...Scored 21 points in the New York State Class 2A state title game in a 68-65 loss to No. 4 nationally ranked Niagara Falls...Scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone and finished with 36 against No. 10 ranked and undefeated Christ the King in January, 2005...Averaged 15.4 points and eight assists per game while leading Xaverian to the Brooklyn-Queens title and a city title game appearance as a junior...Averaged 9.8 points and 8.7 assists as a sophomore...Concluded his senior season ranked as the No. 88 player nationally by Rivals.com...Ranked the No. 64 player nationally by Scout Hoops.com...Rated the nation's No. 16 point guard and No. 93 recruit nationally by Rivals.com...Played for one of the nation's most prestigious AAU programs, the New York Gauchos...Named MVP of the Under-17 Playaz Spring Fling after leading the New York Gauchos to the title with 23 points.

PERSONAL

Born Levance E. Fields on June 14, 1987...Son of Koreen Thomas and Leon Fields...Has one sister, Nataisia Fields...Played at same high school (Xaverian) as former Pitt center Chris Taft and former Pitt assistant coach/Manhattan coach Barry Rohrssen...Xaverian has produced several Big East Conference players including Fields and Taft, Chris Mullin (St. John's), Roger McCready (Boston College), Carlton Screen (Providence) and Terence Mullin (St. John's)...Nickname is the "General"...Favorite food is crown fried chicken and favorite meal is steak, rice and macaroni...Favorite movie is "He Got Game"...Favorite sports figure is Allen Iverson...Role model is his mother because she's "been behind him from day one"...When he was a kid, he pretended to be Spiderman...If he could travel back in time, he would have started playing basketball sooner...Likes to bowl...Committed to Pitt on Dec. 6, 2004, just minutes after scoring 20 points and dishing out 11 assists in a win against St. Agnes (N.Y.)...The announcement came a day prior to Pitt's appearance in the Jimmy V. Classic at Madison Square Garden...Chose Pitt because it made him "feel at home"...Also considered St. John's, Ohio State, Villanova, South Florida, Kentucky, Miami and Mississippi State in the recruiting process...Majors in communications.